Matt has been my best friend since Kindergarten.Despite being in different kindergarten classes, we managed to find each other during recesses and became fast friends.

Growing up, we could be found spending our time biking around town, hanging out at each other’s houses, playing with Legos or video games, inventing our own awesome games on Matt’s trampoline, and much more.We were open to practically any activity, as long as we were doing it together.

Matt and I also shared a love of music and singing, and both took piano lessons. We were known to regularly break out in to two-part harmonies apropos of nothing, and were fond of rocking out to classical music in the car while creating a narrative about what the music was depicting.We were clearly well suited for each other.

In our teen years, Matt even got me my first job--working with him at the Riverbank Farms stand at the local Farmers’ Market.Saturday work days never really seemed much like work when I was spending the day with my best friend, getting cookies from “the cookie lady”, naming all the market regulars, playing Doo Run Run, and working some, too.

Shared experiences, interests, and inside jokes aside, Matt has always been the perfect complimentary friend for me.Matt was the socially skilled, vocal, organized leader of our duo.Matt would push me to open up, make decisions despite my indecisiveness, keep me in check, be my sounding board, my trusted adviser, and he always had my back.He is the Legolas to my Gimli (both metaphorically and literally).He has been, is, and always will be my best friend.As Caitlin and I take this big step in our lives, there’s no way I would do that without Matt right there with us.